Curran denies Nassau hub lease extension for Blumenfeld

Amelia Camurati
County Executive Laura Curran during her State of the County speech in Garden City. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)
County Executive Laura Curran. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran opted Thursday not to pursue plans pitched by Blumenfeld Development Group to develop the land surrounding the Nassau Coliseum, a few days before the deadline to decide.

Curran informed Blumenfeld President Ed Blumenfeld and others of her decision to not renew the lease at a meeting Thursday, according to Newsday.

Blumenfeld and Forest City, who were at one time working together to develop the property known as Coliseum Plaza, have been embroiled in a legal dispute since 2015, and the county has been granting extensions on the lease in 60- or 90-day periods.

The current lease was set to expire on Monday.

Under former County Executive Edward Mangano, an agreement was made giving Curran the right to grant an extension, reassign the lease to Blumenfeld or cancel it.

The Syosset-based group pitched plans on May 2 to develop entertainment and retail on the 77-acre area surrounding the Coliseum, which is mostly parking lots.

Previously, Curran said since the project was announced to build a new arena for the New York Islanders as well as a hotel, retail and office space near Belmont Park, the plans for the Nassau Hub needed to be different, including a potential biotech park, housing, pedestrian walkways and a rapid bus transit system connecting the site, which has no Long Island Rail Road stop, to the Mineola and Hempstead stations nearby.

The Nassau Hub plans from Blumenfeld, which included indoor entertainment, restaurants, retail and potentially housing and office suites, were too similar to those for the Belmont property, Curran said.

Attempts to reach a representative from Blumenfeld were unavailing.

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